Timetable and the like



Marc 7, 1950 s. s. LUCAS TIMETABL: AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 29, 1945 C ZTeqi JGHKEEPSIE TRAINS Busss gmc/YM OC/(ep Il ands lucas Patented Mar. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIMETABLE AND THE LIKE Stockwell Sands Lucas, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.

Application August 29, 1945, Serial No. 613,341

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the type of time tables and similar articles shown by my Patent No. 1,465,017, August 14, 1932. That patent shows a device so arranged that, by movement of certain parts at the place it is used, data with respect thereto with relation to any one of a plurality of other places may be caused to be displayed.

In the device of that patent, a fiat ybody member has a closed end slot in which a part of a pointer is movable, the pointer being attached by that part to a card at the back of the body. A window is positioned in the body member beyond an end of the slot. Indicia on the card is visible through the Window.

However, when it is desired to substitute one card for another, the only ways the one in place may be removed and another put into position are by disconnecting the pointer or by bending and distorting the material of the body member adjacent to the slot to permit the pointer of the card to be drawn through the slot. When the body member is other than rather thin cardboard, this latter expedient is impracticable and When of cardboard it is liable to be torn.

The present invention so corelates the slot and the window of the body member of the device that pointers easily may be inserted and removed without disconnection from the data carrying card and without bending or distorting the body.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pointer member of novel form that is especially advantageous in devices of this kind.

When considered with the description herein, characteristics of the invention are apparent in the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, wherein an embodiment is disclosed for purpose of illustration.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views of the drawing, of Which- Fig. 1 is a front view;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is a view of the pointer member.

The device includes a front body member 4 having a plane front surface. It may be made of cardboard, sheet metal, wood, or other suitable material. It is adapted to be supported on a wall, display article, or by other suitable means in a place where it is visible to persons interested in the information it carries.

The member 4 is formed with an elongated slot 5 and a somewhat large window opening B, which usually is rectangular. The slot opens to and communicates at one end with the window opening.

A member 1, which may be a sheet of card-like material, is disposed and is slidable longitudinally at the back of the body member. The member 'I, when of sheet material, may be encompassed by a backing 8 of sheet material, which is attached at its side edges to member 4 and which is open at at least one end. The backing constitutes a pocket with the member 4 into which the member 'I is insertable and in which it is adjustably shiftable.

A pointer member of the device includes, in sequence, a pointer 9, a bifurcated finger piece Ill, and an arm II, these parts being formed as an integral article by bending a piece of sheet metal of suitable shape.

The pointer 9 is a hat part to abut the front side of the body member 4.

The bifurcated linger piece I Il is substantially U-shape in cross section. One leg I2 is a forward continuance of the material from the pointer. The other leg I3 extends backwardly slightly beyond the plane of the pointer and Substantially perpendicular thereto. The leg I3 is rather long transversely of the pointer member.

The arm II may be of substantially U-shape in cross section. One of its legs I4 extends from the back edge of the leg I3 of the nger piece in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the pointer.

The back member 'I is attached to the arm II of the pointer member. When the arm is bifurcated, one edge portion of the back member is disposed between the legs of the arm and the legs pressed toward each other. Inwardly struck projections I5 of one or both of the legs engage the material of member 'I and hold it in the clamping legs.

When it is desired to bring the member 'I into associated with the body member 4, the member 'I, with the pointer member thereon, is inserted into the back pocket and moved therein until the pointer member reaches the window, through which it is moved to the front, the window being large enough to permit movement of the pointer and the linger piece therethrough.

Then the leg I3 of the linger piece is moved into the slot 5, in which it traverses during` adjustment of member 1. The slot is of such width that its edges have frictional contact with the leg sufficient to hold the member 1 in adjusted position.

Although the member 'I has been described as housed in a pocket on the back of the body member to keep it in proper position against the body member, the member 'l may be guided in any other suitable manner. Moreover, the pocket or other guiding means may be omitted in some instances, as when the article is hung on a Wall. The leg I3 of the finger piece disposed in the slot 5 is of such length as to prevent swing of the member 'l in ordinary vertical disposition of the device.

When it is desired to remove the member 1, its pointer member is moved out of the slot 5 into the window 6, from which it may be pushed backwardly to released position, whereupon it may be withdrawn from the device.

The device, when used as an indicator of times of departure of common carriers, has thereon the name of the place at which it is displayed; as, for example, Poughkeepsie" as shown at the top in the drawing. The front body member has in its space I6 adjacent to the slot 5 indicia in the form of names of places to which common carriers go; as, for example, Albany New- 'bu'rg'h `Hyde Park as shown.

`The member 'l carries 4data concerning the places whose names appear in the space I6 with -relation to the place whose name appears at the top of the device, this data being positioned 4to be visible through the window 6.

The information on member i and the pointer are coordinated in such manner with respect to Lthe window 6 that, when the pointer is brought into registry with a name of a place in the space I6, data with respect to the place at which the device is used is visible through the window. Thus, for example, assuming that the device is used at Poughkeepsie and the pointer registers with the name Newburgh, the times of departure of, and other data concerning, common carriers from Poughkeepsie for Newburgh will be visible through the window.

As train and bus schedules and other data for which the device is susceptible of use are subject to more or less frequent changes, it is necessary to alter data yon member '1. It is for this reason that it is requisite that the device be formed to permit easy removal and replacement of the Amember 1.

When a traveler has access to the device, he quickly may ascertain departure times of trains and buses for any place named on the device,

and without the laborious task of going through a mass of material in an ordinary time table. All he has to do is to move the pointer to the rname of the place to which he wishes to go, and

the data he needs instantly is visible through the window B.

A space I1 adjacent to the slot 5 may have therein directions for use of the device. The other blank spaces on the front member may be used for advertisements or other matter.

I claim: g

l. An article for association with a slotted dis- `play device having indicia adjacent to its s lot,

said article comprising a piece of sheet material bearing data correlated with the indicia, and a retaining member of sheet material including a pointer, a nger piece protruding outwardly from said pointer and extending backwardly as a part receivable by the slot of the device, said part being of a width .to prevent its turning in the said slot, and an arm attached to said piece of material.

v2. Asheet material pointer member comprising Ya pointer, a bifurcated finger piece with one leg extending forwardly from said pointer and the other leg extending backwardly beyond the Iplane of .the pointer, and a bifurcated arm projecting from said backwardly extending leg and adapted to have its legs clamp a piece of sheet material.

3. A device ofA the kind described comprising a Vflat front member having a window and an elongated slot substantially perpendicular to the window, said front member bearing indicia adjacent taining member of sheet material including a pointer registrable with said indicia, a linger piece protruding forwardly from said pointer and also extending backwardly as 'a part disposed in and movable longitudinally in said slot, and an arm on said part connected to said back member, the edges `of said front member at said slot being relatively close together and frictionally engaging the ngerpiece part disposed therein and retaining said pointer in adjusted positions and said part being of a Width that prevents its turning in said slot, said pointer and data being coordinated to cause-display through said window of 4data pertaining to said indicia with which said pointer is brought into registry.

el. An article for association with a slotted display device having indicia adjacent to its slot,

said article comprising `a piece of sheet material having data ycorrelated with the indicia, and a retaining member of sheet material including a pointer, a bifurcated nger piece with one leg REFERENCES Y CITED The following'references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS -Number Name Date 1,465,017 Lucas Aug. 14, 1932 1,773,670 Girlic'h Aug. 19, 1930 2,222,272 Wesner Nov. 19, 1940 Axelrod May 16, 1944 

